Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging

Developmental Psychology: Adulthood and Aging

(a) The Big Five

According to Costa & McCrae, personality traits assume a hierarchical structure in five basic dimensions. They argue that these traits follow up in a high-low approach along the continuum. Firstly, Costa &McCrae identifies openness to experience as the ability of an individual to be intellectually curious, creative, and have a preference for novelty and reality (Kawamoto, 2016). This trait is characterized by appreciation, emotions, unusual ideas, and desire for adventure. It is also a period of imagination and independence subtle to the preference of a variety of activities not based on routine. Secondly, the conscientiousness trait reflects on the aptitude of individuals to deliberately focus their intentions and thoughts on their overall behavior (Kawamoto, 2016). It is depicted by an attitude of goal-oriented behavior, self-discipline, and competence.

Additionally, Costa & McCrae identify extraversion as a trait encompassed with positive emotions, high levels of energy, and sought of stimulation from companies of others for high extraverts. Low extraverts, on the other hand, tend to enjoy the quietness, maintain social distance, and prefer solitude (Stangor & Walinga, 2014). Consequently, agreeableness is a trait that evaluates the capacity of an individual to be compassionate and cooperative on others rather than acting suspiciously. It is a measure of well-temperedness and helpful nature in people (Kawamoto, 2016). Lastly, neuroticism involves exposure to unpleasant emotions, such as anger and anxiety. It measures an individual’s capability to control and stabilize emotions..

Each trait has lower-level facets that relate to the significant construct. For instance, openness to experience has sides such as feelings, ideas, and values. Likewise, conscientiousness has sub-traits such as self-discipline and competence, and this applies to the rest of the traits described above. Costa & McCrae developed the big five-factor model basing on Raymond Cattell’s sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF). The authors also employed the dictionary as they viewed as a significant resource to provide terms that best described character.

(b) Personal Lives

Personality traits reflected in the working environment are mainly the extroversion aspect. Most workplaces require interaction between co-workers; therefore, extrovert characteristics are more prevalent in this setting (Bleidorn, Hopwood & Lucas, 2018). Communication is a crucial element in an everyday organization that fosters enthusiasm and teamwork among workers. In a loving environment, friendship is more encompassed here. Persons must control and stabilize their impulses and emotions when dealing with others. According to Bleidorn, Hopwood & Lucas (2018), the ability to get along with others is called neuroticism. This helps ensure respect and promotion of dignity amongst various relationships. Lastly, in the health sector, it is necessary to observe openness and competence (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). Additionally, possessing positive emotions and a high degree of warmth ensures good health. Personality traits affect the experience we have of the world around us and help shape the course of our lives (Bleidorn, Hopwood & Lucas, 2018). For instance, extraversion, openness to new experience, and neuroticism affect how we perceive the world around us, therefore, impacting our creativity. From the above traits, maintaining a high or low level determines the angle which our lives take. For instance, being a low extrovert limits the interaction we have in our workplaces and may result in poor results. On the other hand, high extroverts possess an open mind and are ready to share ideas that yield more productivity (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). Likewise, the inability to control emotions compromises our relationships with friends, spouses, and families, and the reverse is true. I think openness to experience is the main trait that has more influence on life. The ability to be open ensures self-discipline, which comes in handy with respect for others (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). Additionally, it provides positivity, which generates creative thinking; hence a goal-oriented behavior is adopted.

The Four-Proposition Model of Adult Growth

According to the theories explaining adult development, there exist identified stages that regard growth in adults. First, the sensorimotor stage, which encompasses birth to language acquisition and development (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). Secondly, the preoperational phase is characterized by the ability to speak and lasts up to the age of seven. After that is the period of concrete operations featured by the use of logic in reasoning alongside egocentrism (Heckhausen, Wrosch & Schulz, 2010). It marks the beginning of adolescence. Lastly, the formal operational stage which involves a transition from adolescence to adulthood.

According to Waddington, the epigenetic landscape is a representation of the cellular decision making, which consists of a change in the chromosomal structure without necessarily interfering with the DNA makeup (Ferrell Jr, 2012). It forms a basis for cell interjectory that result in different outcomes later during cell differentiation. Waddington developed a theory of genetic assimilation to support his concept of the ability of characteristics to become heritable (Ferrell Jr, 2012). He explains that in developmental stages, the period of cell differentiation may result to transfer of attributes without affecting the chromosomal makeup on an epigenetic landscape.

The above model is not appropriate for adult development since it ignores the role of culture in growth and development. It entirely depends on observable characteristics that do not reflect all elements of development. However, the model is more convenient in addressing the stages of human development compared to others, which are lowly supported by practical researches and evidence. Aging and adulthood are both correlation topics that mutually depend on each other. They address the stages of human growth that have different factors that influence it.

References

Bleidorn, W., Hopwood, C. J., & Lucas, R. E. (2018). Life events and personality traits change. Journal of Personality, 86(1), 83-96

Ferrell Jr, J. E. (2012). Bistability, bifurcations, and Waddington’s epigenetic landscape. Current Biology, 22(11), R458-R466.

Heckhausen, J., Wrosch, C., & Schulz, R. (2010). A motivational theory of life-span development. Psychological Review, 117(1), 32.

Kawamoto, T. (2016). Personality change from life experiences: moderation effect of attachment security. Japanese Psychological Research, 58(2), 218-231

Stangor, C., & Walinga, J. (2014). 12.3 Is Personality More Nature or More Nurture? Behavioral and Molecular Genetics. Introduction to Psychology-1st Canadian Edition.